Improvement in bustles



A. W. THOMAS.

Bustle.

Patented June 8,1875.

THE GRAPHIC CO.PHOTO-LITH.39&.41PARK PLACLNX.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AMOS w. THOMAS, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENTIIN B USTLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 164, 339, dated June 8, 1875; application filed October 17, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, A. NV. THOMAS, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bustles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, in which- Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views of different styles of bustles embodying my invention. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of bustle shown in Fig. 2.

My invention has for its object to produce a small, light, and stanch bustle, especially adapted tothe present style of dress, which requires to fit closely to the sides of the wearer without bulging or lateral projections.

My invention relates particularly to the following points: First, to forming a bustle with a base-bow or rim, which rests against the' person of the wearer, its ends being secured to the waistband, and provided with folding transverse bows, the parts being so combined that an acute angle will be formed at their junction 011 the upper side of the transverse bows, so as to allow the latter to close upwardly when the wearer sits down. Secondly, to combining the base-bow and transverse bows of a bustle, so that when the latter are closed up a torsion will be produced to facilitate opening when the impact or pressure producing such closing is withdrawn.

In the accompanying drawing, A represents a waistband of a tournure or bustle. .B is a base-bow, to be made of flat or other spring wire, covered, if desired, with a broad tape. The ends of said bow are fastened to the waistband at b I), being brought toward each other, so as to make the bustle narrower at the waist than at the middle or points a; 00. The bow B is designed to rest against the person of the wearer, or upon the intervening skirts, and to form a base for transverse bows O O, &c. which give the required elevation or projection to the tournure. Q

When the tournure is in place upon the wearer the waistband will, of course, be horizontal, while the base-bow will incline slightly from a vertical position.

The bows 0 O 850., will be fastened to the base-bow in such manner as to form an acute angle on their upper sides at the junction, as shown at c c, &c. The angle 0 formed by the upper transverse bow will be slightly more acute than that formed by the bow next below it, and this gradation is continued until the last or lowest bow is reached, which forms almost a right angle with the base-bow.

The result of this construction and arrangement is twofold: First, by arranging the transverse bows to form the acute angle on their upper sides with thebase-b0w they will readily close upwardly when the wearer sits down, and will, when the wearer is standing, and the weight of the skirt is imposed, resist any tendency to dragging down; secondly, as the direction of pressure on the upper bow is more nearly vertical than on the other bows, said direction of pressure approaching gradually the horizontal on the lower bows successively, such pressure will be exerted longitudinally on each bow, which thus forms a brace.

\Vhen the transverse bows close upwardly as described, a torsion is produced in them as well as in the base-bow, which, when relief is afforded by the rising of the wearer, will effect an expansion of the tournure to its normal condition.

I design employing cords D D, which will permit the bows to close upwardly, said cords extending from the waistband to the lowest how, 0 but not to the base-bow, these cords thus forming suspenders for the bows, to which they are secured, and preserving them from injurious strain at their junction.

A modification of my invention will be produced by crossing the bows diagonally, as shown in Fig. 1. In this case the opposite ends of corresponding bows will be in the same plane, while the two ends of each bow will be in different planes.

This construction necessitates the employ ment of a cord, E, proceeding from the waistband and attached to each bow, said cord serv ing as a support to the bows, which, in this case, have little or no function as braces.

I claim 1. The rim B, bent or curved to form up the person of the wearer, its ends being se cured to the waistband, in combination with folding transverse bows O 0 &c.,attacl1edit0., it, substantially as described, so that said trans- I verse bows when folded toward the waistband will produce a torsion in the rim, or cause it to bend, so as to produce a spring, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 2d day of O0- tober, 1874.

AMOS W. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

FRANK HARTMAN, M. DANL. OONNOLLY. 

